A Rita’s Italian Ice and a new cafe concept with in-house coffee roasting are in the works at two vacant storefronts in Cherrydale.
The dessert spot and the coffee shop, Good Trouble Roasters, are both preparing to open in retail bays at 3800 Langston Blvd — a shopping area that has seen significant turnover, but where the smash burger restaurant Burger Billy’s Joint has found success since spring 2024.
Good Trouble Roasters is seeking to open by August, bringing “an elevated experience” of specialty coffee in the morning followed by beer and wine in the afternoon and evening, owner Mike Greiner told ARLnow. More information on the Rita’s spot was not available at publication time, although a webpage for the location lists it as “coming soon.”
Greiner, who has also run the New Mexico-based salsa company Black Market Salsa for the past 18 years, said he is excited for the combination of places to eat and drink in the same shopping area, which he believes will promote business for all of them.
“I think we’re setting ourselves up for success, and I think this is going to be a great time to be opening there,” he said.
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Good Trouble, named after the phrase coined by civil rights activist John Lewis, has been in the works for a couple years but recently began demolition work. In addition to beverages, Greiner intends to sell baked goods from Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe and eventually begin hosting coffee tasting classes.
He said he chose the restaurant’s name as something “just a little off the beaten track,” a nod to Cherrydale’s historic role in the civil rights movement and his plans for future partnerships with local nonprofits.
“I want to give back to my community,” Greiner said. “That’s my whole, kind of, ethos of the shop, is I want to provide something good.”
Greiner acknowledged the limited parking visible from Langston Blvd, but noted that more spots are available behind the retail bays, which Burger Billy’s has been taking advantage of.
“We definitely need to be extremely vocal about the parking situation, because people will just see what’s in front,” he said. “They might be passing by and not realizing they can just pull around the back.”
Greiner said he plans to bring the same focus on quality that has made his salsa company successful.
“I like curating flavor,” he said. “I like showing people that if you invest in quality at every turn, people are going to enjoy your food and drink that much more.”
